Iran-affiliated groups are increasingly enlisting minors across Europe, particularly in Nordic countries, to target Israeli and Jewish institutions, according to a new report in Yisrael Hayom. In Sweden, a string of alarming incidents involving teenagers has highlighted the growing threat. This year alone, a 15-year-old armed with a loaded weapon was intercepted en route to the Israeli embassy, a 13-year-old fired at a facility linked to Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, and a 16-year-old took part in a bombing attempt. Swedish and Norwegian security services have sounded the alarm over Iran-backed recruitment efforts. In October, Norway briefly raised its terror threat level to high, prompting police to carry firearms and authorities to tighten border controls with Sweden, Bloomberg reported. The recruitment of minors by Iran-linked operatives echoes historical patterns. During the Iran-Iraq War, Iranian forces notoriously deployed child soldiers, some as young as nine, for front-line combat and dangerous mine-clearing missions. Many of these children were given symbolic “keys to paradise,” representing promises of heavenly reward for martyrdom. Peter Nesser, a terrorism researcher at Norway’s Defense Research Institute, said that Iranian operatives leverage social media platforms like Telegram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to attract young recruits. Payments for attacks vary from $1,560 for major operations to as little as $125 for smaller tasks. Sweden’s security service (SÄPO) noted that many young recruits are unaware they are acting on behalf of foreign powers. In one case, a teenage recruit had to call for directions to the Israeli embassy in Stockholm after losing his way. Nordic countries’ open societies and expanding immigrant populations are believed to make them vulnerable to these operations. Since 1980, Sweden has accepted over 1.5 million immigrants, yet recent surveys show 40% of migrants feel alienated from Swedish society. In response, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has prioritized tackling youth crime, while Sweden has introduced youth detention centers for offenders under 15. Nesser warned that Iran could escalate activities in Europe following setbacks to its proxy networks in the Middle East. “They might try to create more havoc,” he cautioned. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)